jwsteele,
In a weird way, I think we're trying to say the same thing - sisterhood is more important that what tier a sorority is in.
Sometimes PNMs have this idea that if they join the most prestigious sorority they can get into, their life will somehow improve over finding a group that works best for them, and I was attempting to show a small example of this. Of course, sometimes the most prestigious sorority IS the best fit.
The "beautiful but shallow" comment was meant to be tongue in cheek.

I'm not insinuating that all 'beautiful' chapters are shallow or have less of a sisterhood. Often they are attractive to PNMs
because of the strong bond.
But I appreciate you calling out my inconsistencies so that PNMs reading this don't misunderstand my words.